Flutterbat's Hunter
by chillbook1
Summary: All of Pinkie's friends are dead, and the one who killed them is coming back for seconds. This is a sequel to "Flutterbat's Hunger". This is NOT for the faint of heart. Blood, gore, and violence.
1. Aftermath

**Author's Note: Hey! If you're reading this story, you've probably already read Flutterbat's Hunger. If you haven't, you'll have absolutely no clue what's going on in this story. What are you doing here? Go read the first one! Oh, and review please, if it's not too much trouble. See you at the end. Farewell!**

* * *

I knocked on the doctor's door and entered his office after a moment. I took a seat on the couch to the left of the light brown Earth pony doctor. He looked at me with a smile that I would've loved to return, but I couldn't. It was too much pain to smile after all that happened.

"Hello, Pinkie!" said the doctor cheerfully.

"Hello, doc." I said quietly.

"So, you've finally taken Princess Celestia's advice, hm? About seeking help?"

"Yes. It's been six months, and I think I'm ready to talk about it." I said. The doctor shook his head, still keeping a friendly smile on his face.

"Oh, Pinkie, I won't make you talk about the incident before you're ready." said the doctor.

"I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" he asked. I nodded my head in agreement. I had to get this off of my chest. "Okay. If at any point you would like to stop, we'll stop. But, for now, tell me about the incident. Ho-"

"Murders." I corrected.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The murders. My daddy taught me to treat things as they are, no matter how easy it is to call them something else." I said. "They were murdered, so that's what I'm going to say, if that's okay with you, doc."

"Oh, of course. Whatever helps you get it out best." said the doctor, his face falling and getting a bit more serious. "So, tell me about the murders."

"There's not much to tell. My friends are dead. Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, Dashie, Fluttershy… all dead."

"I can't help but notice that you included Fluttershy on that list." said the doctor. "You still, after all that transpired, consider her to be your friend?"

"Yes." I said, trying to push Fluttershy out of my head. Her sharp fangs, the blood pouring from her chin after she bit RD… These images were still fresh in my mind, even after six months.

"Why is that? I would have thought that you hated Fluttershy."

"No. I can't hate Fluttershy, no matter what she's done. I still love her. Loved her." I said sadly.

"Are you glad that she's dead?" asked the doctor. That's the question I needed help answering. Well, one of them.

"I… I don't know. I wish that none of them were dead, but I'm glad Fluttershy can't hurt anypony else. I guess that I was happy that she's dead, but a little… disappointed."

"Disappointed? Disappointed by what?"

"Disappointed that I'm not." I admitted.

"Why did you want to die, Pinkie?" asked the doctor.

"I killed one of my bestest friends. Rainbow Dash is dead, and it's all my fault."

"Do you recall Fluttershy enchanting you? Turning you into her drudge?"

"I remember. I still should've been able to save her."

"What made you change your tune?" asked the doctor, leaning forward with interest. "You said that you _did_ want to die. What changed that?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Cake." I said. "I couldn't leave them, not like that. Mrs. Cake would fall to pieces if she found my body. That's why I'm waiting for Princess Celestia to kill me."

"What makes you think that the princess is going to kill you?"

"I'm just as bad as Fluttershy. I don't know what I'm capable of, and neither does the princess." I explained. "Nopony knew vampires were real, and we don't know anything about them. Maybe I'll turn into a vampire, and kill ponies like Fluttershy did. I'm too dangerous."

"I don't think you have to worry about the princess." said the doctor. "Let's talk about your suicidal thoughts for a moment. Have you ever imagined yourself ending your own life? How would you do it?"

"I've thought about doing it like in the sad, grown-up movies that my daddy didn't want me to watch. The thing with the rope." I said, thinking about it for the hundredth time today. "Either that, or the gun my daddy bought me for my birthday. He said to only use it in emergencies, but I guess this counts."

"Why do you think suicide is the answer? Do you think it would be easier than pushing forward?"

"I guess it would be easier." I mused.

"Pinkie Pie, I can't help but notice that you haven't smiled or laughed once since you've walked into my office." said the doctor. "Your smile is enough to pick a pony out of the deepest of slums. Why haven't you tried to make yourself happy?"

"I think that… I think I'm broken, doc." I said. "Things that used to make me laugh make me want to cry now."

"Well, what sort of things made you want to laugh before?"

"Everything. Why does everything hurt me now? Not even cupcakes or ice cream makes me feel good."

"Pinkie you are a bright, cheery person." explained the doctor. "Your bright smile and contagious laugh is a shield that protects you from how cruel and dark and sinister reality can be. Even the strongest of shields will break, after constant abuse. Your shield just shattered. But that's okay. If you make these visits more regular, I'm sure we can put your shield back together."

"I could have done it." I said, randomly. Random was my thing. "I could've killed myself just when Fluttershy did. She gave me permission. It was almost an order. Princess Celestia stopped me. I owe her my life."

"Well, if you ever want to talk to her, you can hop on a train to Canterlot." said the doctor. "The princess has given you direct clearance. If you need an audience with her, all you have to do is walk in the castle."

"Thank you. Listen, doc, I have to go." I said. "Is there anything you have left to say to me? Doctor's orders?"

"I need you to take it easy." said the doctor. "If you have a job, take off as much time as you need. And, above all else, make sure you're here again. I can only help you if you let me."

I kept that in mind as I left the office. As I began on my way back home, I kept replaying the terrible ordeal that my life had become. Princess Celestia said that I would find it hard to think of anything other than the murders, partly because of the magic involved in being a thrall. I tried to delete that word from my mental dictionary, but had no luck at all. Thrall. I hated it. I don't hate anything, but I absolutely, positively, no ifs-ands-or-buts, _hate _that word. Drudge wasn't any better. I was so wrapped up in those terrible, evil words that I didn't even realize I had made it back to Sugar Cube Corner. I walked into the bright, happy sweet shop, throwing a fake smile at Mr. and Mrs. Cake. Mrs. Cake said something I couldn't quite hold on to, something about me being happy, and how good that was. I muttered something about sleep and dragged myself up the stairs to my room. Gummy was hanging from my doorknob, dangling and swaying with the breeze. I lifted him onto my head and felt him tense up. He snapped his toothless mouth at my bedroom door, and started hissing like a wet cat.

"What's gotten into you, Gummy?" I asked him, pushing the door open. Nothing could've prepared me for what I saw in my room. Sitting on my bed, her rainbow hair bright as ever, her mischievous, toothy smile shining at me, was Rainbow Dash. I stepped forward, mouth wide open in disbelief.

"Close your mouth, Pinkie." said Dash. "You'll catch flies."

"R-rainbow?" I said quietly.

"What's wrong, Pinks? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"You're alive?!" I squealed. I jumped forward and grasped her into a tight hug. As soon as my hooves were around her, she melted through my body, chilling me to the bone.

"Not exactly." said Dashie. "Get it? 'Seen a ghost'? I'm dead now? It was pretty funny to me."

"You're… a ghost?" I asked. "But there's no such thing as ghosts."

"There's also no such thing of vampires, but we both know that those are real. Trust me, Pinks, I'm real. I've come a long way to get here. Flew for forever, and I'm not exaggerating. I've literally been flying for an eternity."

"But how? It's only been six months!"

"Yeah, and it's been less than a second for the girls." said Dashie. "It's also been forever. Time doesn't make a whole lot of sense in Arcadia."

"Arcadia? What's that?" I asked. "How do you even press buttons or move a joystick if you're a ghost?"

"Arcadia is where dead ponies go if they are pure of heart." said Rainbow, rolling her eyes. "You probably know it as Heaven. Celestia said that there's tons of names for it. I like Arcadia, Twilight likes Elysium, Rarity thinks Utopia is simply a _divine_ name, and Aj keeps it simple, just calls it Heaven. You'll find your name for it when you get here. _If_ you get here."

"Why wouldn't I get in?" I asked.

"That's not the question you should've asked. Think about it, Pinkie. I've been dead for six months, and I just decide to pop in for a visit? Alone? I came here for a reason, and it involves your spot in Arcadia. You probably don't wanna talk about dying right now, but we have to. There's something you have to do if you want to live out eternity with me and the rest of the girls."

"Where else would I go?" I asked.

"Fluttershy is dead. She's not in Arcadia. You'll be going the same place as her." said Rainbow. "I've known you a while Pinkie, and you don't deserve that."

"You still haven't told me why I would end up wherever Fluttershy is."

"Think! If I died and went to Heaven, where would the psychopathic, murderous cannibal go?"

"Ooooh!" I said, still not grasping it.

"Pinkie, do you have any clue what I'm talking about?" asked Rainbow.

"Nope! I'm just so super excited that you're here!"

"But that's it! I came here to help you get into Arcadia when you die. As it stands right now, you'll end up with Fluttershy. You know, the bad guy? The pony who murdered her best friends?"

"Um…"

"Where do good ponies go when they die, Pinkie?" asked Dashie. She sounded like she was getting impatient.

"They go to Heaven." I answered. I remembered daddy telling me things like this.

"Very good. And where do bad ponies go when they die?"

"Um… Oh! H-E-double-sippy-straws!"

"Sippy-straws? Yes, they go to Hell, Pinkie." sighed Dash. "And that's where you're headed. Fluttershy's evil rubbed off on you, and you're going to end up in Hell because of her. Unless you follow my directions."

"Oh. What do you want me to do?" I asked.

"Didn't I say already? Sorry, being dead messes with your head. Let me start from the top; When you arrive in Arcadia, Celestia grants you one wish, so long as your wish isn't to be alive again. Well, our friends wasted their wish on her."

"Who?" I asked.

"Fluttershy." said Rainbow Dash. "They wished Fluttershy back to life. And you have to kill her."


	2. Misery Loves Company

I'm not sure which was more surprising; The fact that Fluttershy was coming back or the fact that Rainbow wanted me to kill her. I asked her to repeat herself like three times before I finally understood.

"B-but how?" I asked.

"We're friends with morons, that's how." said Rainbow bitterly. "Twilight wished her back to life, Rarity wished that she'd have somewhere to stay, and Aj wished that she had a disguise, so nopony will be able to tell its her."

"So, Fluttershy is alive?" I said again. I started smiling for the first time in six months. "That's great! All we have to do is find her, and we can fix all of this! Well, sort of. I can't fix you being dead, but at least I'll have a friend!"

"Pinkie! Are you nuts?! Wait, don't answer that, I already know." groaned Dashie. "She's back, not fixed! She's still a murderer. Celestia either can't or won't stop her from being a vampire. You have to kill her."

"Why? She hasn't done anything to me! Not recently, anyway." I said.

"She's ruining your afterlife! Unless she's in Hell before you die, you'll end up in Hell, too!"

"How come?"

"Some stupid Arcadian Laws." sighed Rainbow Dash. "Besides, you owe it to Equestria to put her in the ground. Nopony else can. she's going to kill again, and you can't let that happen."

"I can't kill Fluttershy, Rainbow." I said. "I can't kill anypony."

"I'm not asking you, Pinkie, I'm telling you. You're going to kill Fluttershy, and that's an order."

"I'm not a slave, Dashie. You can't just order me to do stuff and expect me to do it."

"You didn't have a problem with it when Fluttershy ordered you to help kill me." complained Rainbow. "You owe me this, Pinkie."

"But I can't. I don't do well with blood, Dash, and you know that." I said. "Even if I wanted to, Fluttershy wouldn't let me. If she's back, and still a vampire, I'll probably still have to obey her."

"So that means don't try? Do you want Fluttershy to kill anypony else?" asked Dash. "Do you want her to kill more of your friends? Do you want her to kill the Cakes?"

"Of course not!"

"You're acting like you do. Hey, why don't I kill them, save Fluttershy the trouble?" said Rainbow threateningly.

"You can't!" I cried panickedly.

"I can, just as easily as Fluttershy. Do you understand what'll happen if she gets to live? Every second she's here, another pony is put in danger. She will kill until somepony stops her. And that somepony has to be you."

"I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash, but I can't do this." I said quietly.

"You have to! If you don't, who knows how many she'll kill?" growled Rainbow angrily.

"I-I can't."

"Pinkie, I will haunt you until you agree."

"Then haunt away." I said. Rainbow Dash began to glow bright blue, and a strange smoke began to fall off of her. She zoomed around me at high speed before forcing herself into my chest. My body froze up, and pain flew through me. I screamed loudly, tears falling from my eyes as one of my best friends hurt me with the worst pain I've ever felt.

"Okay! Okay!" I said. "I'll do it!"

"That's what I thought." said Dash, stepping out of me.

_KNOCK!  
KNOCK!_

"Pinkie! Are you okay, deary?" asked Mrs. Cake from the other side of my door.

"I-I'm okay." I panted. "It's fine. Gummy bit me."

"Um… Gummy doesn't have any teeth, hon."

"I know! That's why I was so surprised that he bit me!" I lied.

"Okay, I guess. If you need anything, just say it." said Mrs. Cake uneasily. I waited until I heard her hoofsteps fade away to talk to Dashie.

"Okay." I gulped. "I'm going to kill Fluttershy. H-how?"

"Well, you can't just kill her like a normal pony." said Dash. "She's a vampire, and they can't die from normal ways. We need some special equipment."

"Where do I get this stuff?"

"We have to go to church."

"Huh?" I asked. "Why church?"

"For your first vampire-slaying weapon. Holy Water. It burns them up." said Dash. "Then, you need to go into the Everfree Forest to find an Elder Dogwood tree, and use that to make a stake. Only two sure-fire ways of killing a vampire, besides sunlight and starvation."

"Can't we just wait until she starves?" I asked.

"No, because when she gets hungry, she'll eat. That's the exact opposite of what we want to happen." explained Rainbow Dash. "You go get the Holy Water, I'll look for Fluttershy, and then we can head into the Everfree Forest for that tree. Oh, you might want to head up to the library, while you're at it. See if Twilight has another copy of that vampire book. If not, we'll have to break into the cottage."

"The police told me not to go to the cottage, Rainbow Dash." I said.

"Do I look like the type who cares about what the police have to say? It's time to go, Pinks. If I'm not back before you, meet me in the Forest. The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can get back to Arcadia."

"Okay. If that's what you want, I guess I'll get out of your mane."

"Pinkie, it's not like that. If I belonged here, you know I'd stay." said Dashie. "I shouldn't be here. The only reason Celestia didn't kick me out is because she wants Fluttershy dead as much as I do. Those girls are making everything difficult for everypony. But you can fix that. Let's get to work."

* * *

I stepped into the mostly empty church, a dozen wooden benches lined up in rows where ponies would sit during the sermon. At the back of the church, beneath the mosaic of Princess Celestia, was the unicorn priest. Father Goodwill, dressed in his black suit and white necktie, reminded me of my daddy, with his grey mane and beard. Around his neck was a golden necklace, in the shape of Princess Celestia's Cutie Mark. He noticed me and shot me a bright smile. Everypony could smile, everypony but me. Still, I tried to return the appearance of joy. I probably failed, maybe looking like I had a toothache.

"Miss Pinkamena." he said. "How are you holding up? I haven't seen much of you. I know you're going through a very hard point in your life, but Celestia will come through for you."

"I'm sure she will, Father Goodwill." I said, although I doubted it. "I need a favor from you, and it might come off as strange."

"I expect nothing less from you, Miss Pinkamena." he said with a smile. I guess that was his attempt of making me feel better.

"I need some Holy Water, if possible."

"Whatever for?"

"I think that, after the murders, I need to re-baptize myself." I said.

"All you had to do was ask, Miss Pinkamena." said Father Goodwill. "I can do that right now."

"No! I have to do it myself." I insisted.

"And why is that?"

"I'm not comfortable with you seeing me naked."

"We do not typically wear clothes, Miss Pinkamena." he said, raising an eyebrow. I looked down at myself and did a fake yelp, as if I was surprised.

"Ohmygosh! I'm so embarrassed!" I squealed. "Can I please just have the Holy Water?"

He sighed, his horn glowing. A golden orb levitated from a back room, landing in front of him. He muttered a few words, a prayer that I could barely catch, and pressed the orb into my hoof. I thanked him, shoved the orb in my mane, and left, throwing my goodbye over my shoulder.

Outside of the church was bright and cheery, the exact opposite of how I was feeling. I looked up at the beaming sun, and the cloudless sky, and actually found myself upset. I couldn't believe the nerve of the weather pegasi, or of Celestia. Nothing around me had right to be happy, not even the weather. My bitterness bounced around my head as I made the trip from the church to Twilight's Library on the other side of town. At least, it used to be Twilight's Library. Now, it's just Golden Oak, and it was falling apart. Every now and then, I would see Spike stand outside and stare, almost as if waiting for Twilight to return for him.

He wasn't there when I arrived. I pushed the door open, stepping into the big tree of a house. This wasn't the tree I remember, where I would meet up with my friends and we'd talk and laugh and eat lunch. Now, it was just a cold, unfamiliar place. The unicorn who was running it now, I can't even remember her name, she gave me a stern, aggressive look, like I was wasting her time. Like she had a better place to be. There was no place better than the Library when Twilight was running it. I stood in the middle of the room, lost in thought, when the orange unicorn adjusted her thick bifocals and cleared her throat.

"Can I help you?" she asked rudely.

"No, I know my way around this place." I said sadly. I went to the shelf labeled "E" and began to pick my way through the many, many books. Finally, I fell onto a huge series of books, Encyclopedia Horrifica. I kept my eyes on the spines of the books, counting along.

"614, 615… No 616." I complained. That meant that I'd have to go to the cottage. I gulped and turned away, when something grabbed my eye. A little more down the line was a book slightly dustier than the rest of the Encyclopedia. The leather was ripped and shredded and clawed and scratched, as if somepony had tried their hardest to destroy it.

"Encyclopedia Horrifica Volume 666. Ghosts." I read under my breath. I grabbed it and stowed it in my mane, thinking that it might come in handy. I walked out of the library, hearing the new librarian complain.

"I need to see your library ca-. They don't pay me enough." she grumbled as I exited. I wandered back to Sugar Cube Corner, Rainbow Dash nowhere to be found. I sighed and threw the book underneath my bed, hidden among the cupcakes, candy wrappers, and other garbage. I left my home again, telling the Cakes that I forgot something. If they asked me when I got back what it was that I forgot, I'd just tell them that I forgot what it was that I forgot. They'd believe that.

Somehow, as if my legs were moving on their own, I ended up outside of Fluttershy's cottage. I stared at it, dread and pain filling me. Fluttershy's cottage used to be a place where I could relax with my friends, have some tea, sleep over. Everything has changed since then. Nothing is as it was. I miss the good ol' days.

"Boo." whispered Rainbow Dash, appearing out of nowhere to my left. "Got the stuff?"

"I have the Holy Water, but I couldn't find a copy of the book." I said.

"Oh, I whittled the stake for you. It's behind that tree to our left."

"How'd you do that?" I asked as I went to retrieve it.

"I had to possess a bear. Hurry up, I think I know where Fluttershy is." said Rainbow Dash. "She's in the Forest right now! Let's go!"

"Moment of truth." I muttered, the wooden stake in my mouth. Dash nodded and took off as I followed, not sure how much I wanted to do this. I didn't have much choice. Fluttershy couldn't keep killing, and nopony else could do what I had to do. I wasn't even sure if I could do it.

"It's okay, Pinks." said Dashie. "It'll all be worth it to get into Arcadia."

I wasn't too sure about that. I didn't think it was worth it at all.


	3. Fresh Meat

I wandered through the Everfree Forest for ten minutes, seeing nothing but Rainbow Dash and plants. I had removed the stake from my mouth, instead holding it in the tip of my swirly pink mane. The Forest was as scary as ever, and no amount of laughter could ever really change that. I learned a long time ago that talking helped take your mind off of things that scared you, so I tried to strike up a conversation with Dashie.

"So, what'd you use your wish for?" I asked.

"My wish? I haven't used it yet." answered Rainbow. "I'm saving it for a rainy day, so to speak."

"Why didn't you use your wish to get rid of Fluttershy?"

"Your wish can't directly interfere with somepony else's. That'd be cheating. What if I was in Arcadia with somepony I didn't like? I could just wish that their wish doesn't get wished."

"Oooh!" I said. "You can't wish to unwish a wisher's wish, because wishing wishes is to wish for wishes!"

"And, just like that, I think my IQ just dropped ten points." said Rainbow Dash, rubbing her forehead. "I guess that's right. You gotta be careful what you wish for in Arcadia. Celestia takes these wishes very literally. Like, you can't say 'I wish it wasn't so hot' without her making it cold and using up your wish."

"If she sticks to the rules like that, how did you convince her to let you hold onto your wish?" I asked.

"I didn't. I'm still making my wish. I told you, there's a weird time difference between Equestria and Arcadia. Your future is my past, my past is your present, and your present is my future. Everything is going on at once, therefore, nothing is happening at all. At least, that's what the Egghead said."

"Is it nice?" I asked. "With the girls, I mean."

"It's as good as it can get, what with us being dead and all." said Dashie. "Their all same as always. Twilight always has her nose in a book, Rarity's always making dresses, Aj's working. Arcadia gives you anything you need to be happy, and it gave her trees to buck. Don't know what that says about our friend, but…"

"How come they didn't come? Don't they miss me, or their families?"

"I'm the only one who could come." explained Rainbow. "You have to travel for an eternity to get from Arcadia to Equestria. Only my wings are strong enough to do it. Besides, it sucks being here. It hurts a lot."

"You mean it makes you sad?" I asked.

"No, I mean it physically hurts. I haven't felt pain in so long. It's felt like years, but I guess it's only been seconds. Anyway, what's going through your head?"

"I just saw this video the other day about a cat who could play the keyboard." I said. "I've been thinking about that this whole time."

"I meant about the mission, Pinkie. How are you feeling?" asked Rainbow, rolling her eyes.

"My stomach hurts a little bit. Is that normal?"

"You're about to kill your friend, who is a vampire and also killed the rest of your friends. Nothing about this is normal. But heads up. She's just past this bush."

I gulped and pushed forward, stepping through the brush. Standing with his back to me was a unicorn, with and all white coat and a dirty blonde mane. He was hovering a map in front of his face, and he looked very confused. The stallion turned around, jumping back in surprise when he saw Pinkie.

"Hello, miss." he said. "I'm a little lost. Can you point me in the direction of Ponyville?"

"This is it, Pinkie." said Dash. "It's her."

"How can you be sure?" I asked. "He's a unicorn, and a stallion. He can't be Fluttershy."

"Aj wished for a complete disguise, so that nopony could recognize her. I'm sure Celestia could change her gender and race. I'm positive it's her."

"Excuse me?" asked the stallion. "Who are you talking to?"

"Is that you, Fluttershy?" I asked, heart beating in my throat.

"Huh? My name isn't Fluttershy."

"She's lying." said Dashie. "Plain and simple. Stick her with the stake."

"Maybe it's not her, Dashie. If it was Fluttershy, don't you think she'd react by now? Attack me or run away?"

"No. The best way to keep up a lie is to stand by it."

"Miss, I really need to get to Ponyville." said the stallion. "I've been told this forest is very dangerous."

There was a rustling in the bushes behind us, something that I didn't take note of at the time. It was just a noise, nothing important. I argued with Rainbow for two more minutes over whether or not this was Fluttershy, and it wasn't until I decided to call it quits did I notice the wolf. Or rather, the wolves. A pack of six wolves stepped out of the brush, baring their fangs at us menacingly.

"It's okay, Pinkie." said Rainbow. "Just stand your ground, drop to your belly, and put your hooves over your head. They won't attack."

"That's for bears!" I exclaimed.

"Oh. In that case, you should probably start running."

"Run, mister!" I shouted, leaping into a gallop with the stallion close behind. I heard the growling of the wolves behind me, coming closer and closer with each passing second. I could practically feel their hot, beasty breath on my neck. They were gaining on me, and I was running out of stamina.

"Pinkie." said Dashie, floating to my left. "Stab her in the leg."

"What?! Why?!" I panted, still running as fast as I could.

"If it really is Fluttershy, the stake won't break her skin."

"And if it's not?"

"The wolves will eat him and give you a chance to escape." said Rainbow Dash. "It's the only way out."

I looked at the stallion, fear etched on his face. The stake fell into my hoof, the weight of the wood weighing me down on a mental level.

"If you're Fluttershy, you deserve this. If you're not, I'm so sorry." I said. I stabbed the stake through his leg, spilling blood onto the floor and pulling a scream from his lungs. The stallion dropped to the ground as I scurried up a tree, the wolves circling him, like sharks smelling blood.

"Please! Help me!" he called. "I have kids! A wife! Please!"

It's not often that you think about somepony getting eaten alive. When you do, you just imagine them being swallowed in one quick little bite. But that's not how it goes. I watched in horror as the wolves bit into the stallion, ripping his flesh from his bones mercilessly. He screamed and screamed and screamed, his pain unthinkable, insurmountable. At one point, one of the wolves ripped out his heart, and swallowed it while it was still beating. That was when I lost my lunch, and vomited right from my branch. That was the worst part of it. The best part? He stopped screaming.

I could deal with him dying, and I could deal with him crying. But those screams, him begging for mercy and, when he knew that wasn't coming, death… It was too much for me to handle. After an hour, the wolves got tired of him, leaving his half-eaten carcass sprawled on the grass. I slid down and, against my better judgement, took a peek at his body. The wolves had pulled him apart mostly, leaving his bones, some of his skin, and bits of his intestine. They ripped off all the skin on his face, but left his eyes, unmoving in their sockets. His tongue lay in a bloody pool next to his head. He probably bit it off from the sheer shock of the pain. Rainbow Dash appeared next to me, horror sprawled on her face. I took my stake and poked at the stallion's unmoving body, the last of his blood pooling around my hooves.

"Oh my… Pinkie, I'm so sorry." said Rainbow Dash. "You're right, I shouldn't have made you do this. I'm so, so sorry. You don't have to do this anymore. You know what? I'll go home. Just forget about this."

Rainbow Dash turned away and flew upwards slowly. She couldn't leave me again. I couldn't be alone again. I didn't know what I was liable to do if I was left alone with my thoughts again. I'd probably pull daddy's gun from it's locker and bite the barrel. I needed her.

"Dashie, wait!" I called, words nearly sticking in my throat. "It's okay. Please, help me find Fluttershy."

"You still think you can do this?" asked Dashie, floating down next to me.

"Mh-hm. J-just help me find a place to dump the body."

"Um… the cottage! It's not perfect, and it can't be permanent, but we can keep him there until we find someplace better."

"Alright." I agreed and I began the terrible, horrific task of dragging the stallions maimed corpse through the woods. I took his tail in my mouth and dragged him across the dirt ground, leaving a faint trail of blood. I pulled his body over roots and leaves, and before I knew it, I was at the cottage. I pushed open the door and left his body in the middle of Fluttershy's living room, the spot I always used to sit in when I visited her. Sprawled open wide to the left of the couch was the book. Encyclopedia Horrifica Volume 616. I grabbed it and stowed it away in my mane, placing it next to the stake, the Holy Water, and my container of apple slices. That was supposed to be for lunch, but I couldn't stomach anything after that.

"You alright, Pinks?" asked Dash as I began my trip back home.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Can you try again to find Fluttershy?" I asked. We were just a block away from Sugar Cube Corner. I stood quiet as I pushed open the door and nearly walked right into Mr. Cake. He smiled at me, then drifted his eyes down to my hooves.

"What do you have on your hooves?" he asked softly. I glanced down and nearly jumped out of my skin. Thick, red blood painted my left hoof, the hoof I used to stab the stallion. How could I forget to wipe off?

"It's... jam. Strawberry jam." I lied. I licked at the blood, lapping it up. It was disgustingly salty, almost like steel. It made me sick to my stomach, but I cleaned my hoof completely, then went upstairs to my room. Gummy leapt at Rainbow Dash, passing through her as if she wasn't there at all.

"Nice cover, Pinkie. You have a strong stomach." said Rainbow.

"How come the Cakes and other ponies can't see you, but I can?" I asked. "Even Gummy seems to be able to see you."

"I am choosing to only show myself to you. Only you can handle it." said Dash. I dropped down on my bed, thoughts flying through my head. "I know how that sounds, but you're not crazy. Not crazier than usual, at least. You said it yourself; Gummy can see me, so I have to be real, right?"

"He doesn't seem to like you. I'll do some research, and you go find Fluttershy, okay?" I suggested. Dashie nodded and flew through my wall, melting through to the other side. I reached into my mane and through the Encyclopedia onto my bed, flipping it open. I needed to find something on side-effects of a vampire bite. I was positive that something was wrong with me, but I couldn't admit it to even myself.

The blood. I licked the stallions blood, his thick, scabbing, coagulating blood. It filled me with dread, and nausea, but also something else. I hated myself for thinking it, but I felt sort of… happy. It couldn't have been me, it had to be something from Fluttershy's bite. I flipped through the book, finding absolutely nothing on the subject. I sighed and threw the book away from me angrily.

"Nopony knows anything about vampires, anyway." I heard myself say, trying to rationalize this whole thing. "Of course there are side effects, it's just nopony knows what they are. This must be one of them."

My eyes fell on the other book, Encyclopedia Horrifica Volume 666. Ghosts. I yanked it from under my bed, trying to see if Rainbow's claims checked out.

"Ghosts, also known as ghouls, phantoms, spectres, spooks, fiends and phantasms, are the souls of deceased ponies leaving their assigned realms." I read. "Ghosts run a huge risk by leaving their home, as those in Heaven may be kicked out and those in Hell may be tortured more severely. Ghosts have shown the ability to vanish from view, completely or to certain individuals, as well as the ability to overshadow, or possess, other beings. Household pets have exhibited a distaste for ghosts, and can, for unknown reasons, see a ghost regardless of the spectre's attempts to hide themselves."

"Ghosts are persistent, and will normally stalk or haunt a living pony until satisfied in some manner. The only known way to send a ghost to their home realms prematurely is with twice burned rosewood ash."

I didn't know if I would ever need to get rid of Rainbow Dash, or if I'd ever want to. If I did, though, I certainly knew how.

"Did I mention that I can speak right into your head?" asked Rainbow Dash, her voice echoing through my mind. "I'm positive this time. She's right here in Ponyville. Meet me at the library."


	4. Counter-Measure

I stood outside of Golden Oak Library just as Princess Luna was raising the moon. My stake and Holy Water was hidden in my mane, at the ready in case I ran into trouble. Rainbow Dash was nowhere to be found, and I was starting to get nervous. What if she left? What if Fluttershy killed her? I wasn't sure how a vampire could kill a ghost, but what if?

Rainbow Dash faded into view, putting my fears to rest. I sighed as she tilted her head to the side, signaling me to follow her. I did, not asking any questions as to where we were going or what was happening. Neither of those things really mattered. Rainbow Dash stopped me outside of a wooden house, one that was fairly new. I didn't even know the pony who lived there yet. Rainbow pointed me at the open back door of the two story house, and I knew I was about to meet them. I grabbed my stake from my mane and stepped into the house, right into the kitchen. I could hear a television blaring from the next room, the living room.

"Ha!" laughed a loud mare from the living room. Apparently, whatever she was watching was hilarious.

"Wait!" said Dashie. "Nevermind! This isn't Fluttershy!"

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Fluttershy is never that loud."

"So? Maybe she's pretending." I suggested.

"For who?" asked Dashie. "She has no clue you're here, so why would she be faking?"

I stepped forward regardless, with my hoof on my ball of Holy Water. I twisted it open and dropped the lid to the floor with a clatter. The mare heard me and lowered her television, keeping her ears peeled for intruders. She must've thought she imagined it, because she returned her T.V. to the normal volume.

"I'm going to splash her with Holy Water." I said. "If it's Fluttershy, she'll start burning. If it's not, she'll be okay. That way, I can be sure."

Dash nodded, agreeing that it was a good plan. I exhaled deeply in preparation and jumped into the living room. I splashed Holy Water on the teal Earth Pony over and over, her only flinching coming from the surprise. She shouted and yelled, telling me to get out of her house and threats of calling the police. It seemed she was on the up and up.

"Okay, Pinkie, she's good." said Dashie. "Get out while you can."

I threw one last splash of Water, aiming for her eyes. She gripped her face in pain, yelling of how it burned. I jumped onto her and knocked her off of her couch, pinning her down with my hoof. She squirmed and thrashed, and it took all my strength to keep a hold on her. I brought down my stake, burying it into the mare's chest, spurting blood all over my chest. Some outside force pulled my stake from her chest and buried it in her stomach, then her neck, then her chest again. My hoof made it's way into her mouth, blocking off the screams. She convulsed one more time before growing still forever.

"Pinkie!" shouted Dashie angrily. "What are you doing?"

"It hurt her. It was Fluttershy, right?" I asked, knowing the answer. "It had to be."

"No! You threw it in her eyes, Pinkie. Holy Water is just salty tap water! Of course it burns her eyes!"

"I-I'm sorry." I said.

"Even if it was Shy, that was overkill!" scolded Rainbow. "Four times? The first stab was right in the heart!"

"Dash, we have to go." I warned. "Somepony had to hear her scream."

Rainbow Dash looked at me angrily, but nodded nonetheless. We left the house quickly, exiting the way we entered. We ran through Ponyville as I wiped the blood from my chest with a handkerchief I kept in my mane. I huffed and puffed, a combination of exhaustion and something else. I didn't realize it at the time, but I suppose it was excitement. Then, as we neared the center of town, me and Rainbow caught sight of something truly terrible. In the middle of the town, in a pool of her own blood, was Mayor Mare.

I approached the Mayor's body uneasily. I couldn't understand who would kill such a sweet, kind woman. Then, I took notice of her wounds. Two tiny little holes in the side of her neck, with blood dripping from them. Bite marks.

"Damn. We just missed her." said Rainbow Dash. "I don't think anypony has found the body yet."

"I have to go. Let's try again in the morning, okay?" I said. Rainbow Dash looked at me in confusion, but let me run home anyway. I strolled boldly into Sugar Cube Corner, smiling widely at the Cakes. They were so relieved to see me smiling again that they didn't even ask me where I was. I sat there in the shop talking and laughing with them for ten minutes before I decided to head upstairs for sleep. As I got to the stairs, Mr. Cake handed me a box of knives, new utensils we just ordered, and asked me to put them into storage for him. I nodded and brought them with me. I threw the wooden crate onto my bed, deciding to move it later. I had something much more important on my mind.

The bloody handkerchief. I pulled it from my mane and sniffed it. It didn't have much of an odor, but I knew that it had a taste. I looked over my shoulder and pressed my tongue against the bloody rag. The taste made me recoil in disgust, but I couldn't stop myself. I licked and licked, cleaning all of the blood. When the handkerchief was clean, and my stomach was filled with hot blood, I fell onto my bed, falling asleep nearly at once.

* * *

When I woke up in the morning, one of the knives from Mr. Cake was in my hand. It was a big, black handled kitchen knife, and it was wicked sharp. It was a miracle that I made it through the night without cutting myself. I turned the knife over in my hoof, then put it into my mane for later. Then, I ran downstairs, swallowed a quick breakfast, and took off for the Everfree Forest. I had one goal, and I wasn't even sure why I had it yet.

I wandered through the Forest, deeper than I'd ever gone. I walked past oak trees and pine trees and birch trees and spruce trees, dozens upon dozens, before I found the tree I was looking for. I took the kitchen knife from my mane and brought it down on the reddish bark of the rosewood tree. I gathered some outer bark, and a little of the inner wood, and stuffed it in my mane. I turned around and my heart stopped.

Wolves. Six wolves were circling me, panting a drooling beastily. The biggest one, the alpha, held something in it's mouth. A leg. A pony leg, the leg of the stallion I stabbed. The wolves must've gotten into Fluttershy's cottage and finished their meal. I froze up, preparing myself for my imminent death, when the alpha dropped the leg in front of me. He nudged it forward with his nose in offering.

"You want me to eat it?" I asked. Miraculously, they nodded, as if they could understand me. I shook my head and took a step. The wolves barked and snapped at me, demanding that I take a bite. I weighed my options carefully before I picked up the leg and took a big bite of the cold, red meat.

If blood was gross, this meat was unstomachable. It was terrible, yet I stripped off piece after piece of the deceased pony's flesh. I swallowed every bite against my own will. I felt like a drudge again. This time, I was a slave to myself. The pony flesh seemed to push itself into my mouth and, before I knew it, I had pulled all the meat off of the bones. I bit at the bone disappointedly, then shook myself silly. How could I want more? I shouldn't have been able to breath after that atrocity, but I wanted to continue.

The wolves left me alone after that. They seemed pleased that I had accepted their gift. It was probably their way of thanking me for the meal I supplied. I pulled a toothpick from my mane and dug a sliver of flesh from in between my teeth. I swallowed it and found myself on the outskirts of The Everfree Forest. Rainbow Dash was waiting for me, giving me a grumpy, dissatisfied scowl.

"Hey, Dashie." I said brightly.

"What were you doing in the Forest?" asked Rainbow.

"I was looking for Fluttershy."

"Why? When we started, I had to force you to look for Shy. Now you're going after her?"

"I'm just trying to get it over with." I said. "Have any leads?"

"None. You know, it's not exactly easy finding somepony who you've never seen before." said Rainbow.

"Let's check around some of the newer houses." I suggested. "Houses where new ponies moved in within the past six months."

Dash agreed and we set out through the streets of Ponyville. I stopped by town hall and picked up some residential records. They weren't hard to get my hooves on. Nopony seemed to be working properly, probably because of the mayor's death. I was sort of thankful Fluttershy killed the mayor when she did. It made my job easier.

"Where do you think we should try first?" asked Dashie. I scanned the papers, trying to pick an address. According to the records, a pegasus mare moved in a house down the street from Sugar Cube Corner, about three months ago.

"Let's try here. It's close to home." I said. We set off, passing Mr. Cake on the way. We arrived at the little wooden house, all of the windows closed, the door shut, no entrances of any sort.

"How do you think we should get in?" asked Dashie. I knocked on the door and waited. Soon enough, a tired looking purple pegasus opened the door. She could barely keep her eyes open and she kept looking around and squinting, probably searching for the glasses that were sitting atop her head.

"How may I help you?" she asked.

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! I didn't know you moved in!" I said, smiling widely. I stepped past the mare and strode into her house. For somepony who was living there for three months, she sure had a lot of boxes left to unpack. There were cardboard boxes and wooden crates lining the halls.

"Hey! You can't just walk in here!" she shouted.

"Do you need help moving in, bestest friend?" I asked.

"What? No. I'm moving out."

"Aww! How come? I was really looking forward to being friends!" I fake-complained.

"You should've shown up three months ago. Still, nothing you could say could make me stay here." said the mare. "I went to all of my friends in Cloudsdale, asking them where would be a nice place to settle down, and they all pointed me to Ponyville. Nopony thought to tell me that there's a psychopath on the loose!"

"Psychopath?" I asked.

"You don't get out much, do you? Six months ago, some serial killer murdered six ponies, made it look like they were a vampire. That was their schtick, their signature. Now, somepony went missing in the Everfree Forest, some mare was found stabbed four times, and the mayor herself was killed by the vampire-killer! If I were Celestia, I'd cut my losses and wipe Ponyville off the map."

"Ponyville isn't that dangerous." I said. "Especially not after I get rid of the vampire."

"The what? It's not really a vampire." said the mare. "Just some pony with a sick obsession. And what do you mean 'get rid of'?"

"Fluttershy, don't make this any harder than it has to be." I said.

"Fluttershy? Who the hay is that?"

"Yo! Pinks!" called Rainbow Dash. "Maybe we should beat it! It's the middle of the day, and somepony is going to notice the yelling. If you're arrested, Fluttershy is free to do what she wants."

"Okey-dokey! See you later, friend!" I said, hurrying out of the house. The mare shouted at me, telling me to stay out of her house and that Ponyville was a "shithole cesspool for psychopaths and barbarians". I disregarded her words, remembering the good Ponyville, the Ponyville with all of my friends. Now, my only friend was Rainbow Dash. And she would be leaving soon.

"That was a failure." said Dash. "Try the next house?"

"You go ahead. My stomach is hurting." I said, clutching my gut. Rainbow raised her eyebrow suspiciously.

"Really? I don't know how much I believe you." said Dashie skeptically. "Why's your stomach just hurting all of a sudden?"

"I dunno. Think about it, all I eat is cupcakes and ice cream." I said. "Or maybe it's just that time of the month."

"Pinkie, go home. I'll get you later, no excuses." sighed Rainbow. I nodded and we went our separate ways. I felt my hooves move, but I wasn't actually aware I was taking steps. I managed to wander into Sugar Cube Corner, almost right into Mrs. Cake. I asked her if I could use the wood-burning stove in the basement, to calm me down. I loved the smell, and she agreed I could, so long as I was careful. I nodded and retreated to Sugar Cube Corner's bottommost room, the basement that held the wood-burning stove. For some reason. I doubt even the Cakes knew how it got there. It didn't matter how it got where it was, just that it was there for me to use.

I threw in my rosewood from my mane, along with a bit of firewood, and lit the stove. Patiently I waited, taking in the smell of the swirling smoke. I hoped I'd have enough time to do this before Rainbow came back.

It took an hour for all of the wood to be burned to ash. When it was a fine, grey powder, I added another log of firewood and lit it again. Another hour passed and I was left with my twice-burned rosewood ash. The bane of a spectre. A ghostbuster, even.

I took up my ash and stowed it in the ball that used to hold my Holy Water. I used it all up the day before. That was okay. I didn't need it anyway.


	5. When All That's Left Is Ash

Blood poured from the walls, pooling around my hooves. Thick, warm, viscous blood. A waterfall of red raining down from the walls of the blank, empty room I was in. My stomach growled loudly, and the blood looked inviting. A grabbed a hoof-ful and swallowed it. My mind seemed to disappear. All that mattered was more blood, more death, more taste. Ponies walked in, unknown unicorns, Earth Ponies, and pegasi, and they stood before me, blade falling into my hoof. The cold steel of my knife ran through their throats, one by one. Then, the real fun began.

I slit a hole in a stallion's chest, hearing him yelp in pain. Slowly, so as to cause the most agony, I shoved my hoof into his chest, feeling around his organs. I gripped a pulsating hunk of squishiness. The heart. The stallion screamed and screamed as I slowly pulled his gushing, life-baring heart from his chest cavity. Licking my lips in anticipation, I raised the still-beating organ to my mouth and took a bite. Blood spurted into my mouth, the metallic taste nearly stinging my throat. There was only one word to describe it; Bliss.

The best feeling in the world. Better than the best cupcakes, better than the warmest hug. The best thing in all of Equestria. As I ripped through the stallion, I wondered why nopony else had thought to try murder. Then I realised how stupid I sounded. Of course somepony has tried before me. Other ponies must've enjoyed it, although maybe not as much as I did. It made me tingle, down to my soul, just delicious, divine pleasure.

I made my way through the crowd of ponies, gorging myself on their forbidden meat. I picked them apart, and my stomach was still not satisfied. My eyes fell on a forgotten mare, a pink Earth Pony with a poofy mane. Unlike the others, who had cowered in fear, she stood with her back to me, not acknowledging my existence.

"Hellooo!" I called, waving my knife around. "You get that I'm going to kill you, right? You're as much of a pony as the others, and my knife cut through them fine. It'll do the same to you."

Silence. The mare stood there, ignoring me. Through all of my bliss and all of my hunger, another emotion broke through. Rage. Followed swiftly by hatred and, lastly, fear. This mare scared me.

"Don't you know it's rude not to look at people when they're talking to you?" I asked. The mare remained silent as I slowly made my way to her.

"What makes you so tough? You think I won't kill you? Is that it? I'll stab you again and again until you bleed out! Then, I'm going to peel off your skin, slowly, and I'm going to enjoy every second of eating what you used to be! I will kill you!" I shouted angrily. I got to the mare, who still ignored my presence. Rage took over, and I stabbed my knife into her back. No scream as blood poured from the wound. I stabbed her again and again and again until she fell onto the ground. I kicked her over onto her back and brought my knife to her throat. As I slit her neck, I realised who she was.

Blood poured from Pinkie Pie's neck, dripping onto the floor. She looked at me with a glazed, blank expression. Her mouth opened, blood pouring out. Blood seeped from her eyes and her ears and her nose, a disgustingly delicious puddle forming around her. She coughed once, unlodging more blood from her throat. Something escaped alongside the blood. Her scream. Her terrified, agonized scream rang through the walls, deafening me. Before I knew it, I was screaming just as loudly. My back burst into pain, little shots of agony running down me. I fell to my knees as blood dripped from the wound in my neck. Pinkie rose to her hooves and took the knife from me.

"No, Pinkie." she said. "I'm going to kill you."

She raised the knife high above her head, and the last thing I saw was her wicked smile as the sharp steel entered my throat.

* * *

I sat up in my bed, screaming at the top of my lungs. Cold sweat poured from my every pore, and the terror of my nightmare was all too fresh. I looked from side to side in complete fear, not even sure what I was afraid of. The Cakes bust into my room, looking around in terror.

"Is everything okay, deary?" asked Mrs. Cake.

"Y-yeah." I whispered, throat dry and raw. "Ever since the murders, I've been having night-terrors. I still have them sometimes."

"Do you need anything?" asked Mr. Cake.

"A glass of water, please." I croaked.

The Cakes, what lovely parents, rushed off to get me my water. I wished my parents were more like the Cakes. I could barely remember my mother, but Mrs. Cake was always fresh in my mind. I loved them so much. They were always there for me when I needed them, like right now. They were in the middle of a workday, and they still have time to look after me. It would break their hearts if they knew what I was planning.

The Cakes returned with a glass of water, and a blueberry muffin as well. Mrs. Cake scolded me for skipping meals. I knew how unhealthy it was, but my appetite had been waning since the murders. My run-in with the wolves didn't help. Still, I graciously ate the muffin, drowning it with my water. I glanced out my window, the sun lowering gently in the sky. The sky was painted a light purple, almost pink, and it reminded me of something. I racked my brain, trying to remember what this time of day was called. It was eerily familiar…

"Twilight." I said finally.

"What about her, hon?" asked Mrs. Cake.

"No, I mean it's twilight. The sky." I pointed out. "After sunset, before moonrise, right? It's called twilight?"

"I think so." said Mr. Cake. "Do you need anything else, Pinkie?"

"No, thank you. I'm good. I appreciate it, though." I said. "I love you guys. I don't know why you put up with me."

"Aww." sighed Mrs. Cake. "We'd be lost without you, deary. Now, go back to sleep, okay?"

I nodded and covered myself with my blanket. I fake snored until I was positive that they were gone. Then, I jumped from my bed, covering pillows to look like they were a sleeping me. When I was sure that my dummy could fool anypony, I opened the window and slowly drifted to the ground. It'd been a while since I did anything like that. My friends, if they were still alive, they'd laugh or scratch their heads, confused as to how I could float downwards from the second story of a building. When my hooves touched the ground, I set off to the pegasus' house.

I arrived in a few minutes, my stake and ash tucked in my mane for ready use. I pressed my ear against the wall, listening to the loud snoring of the pegasus who lived there. It would be no trouble sneaking in without waking her. That was the plan.

I stuck the tip of my mane into the keyhole and jiggled it, pushing the door open when the lock clicked. The entire house was dark and ominous, the little light producing scary glimmerings on tiny metal pieces sticking out of the boxes that were in the halls. I tiptoed through her house, finally finding the bedroom where she was snoring away so loudly. I opened it up and stepped right past Rainbow Dash.

"Hello, Pinkie." said Dashie. "I'm glad your stomach is feeling better. I was going to let you rest until tomorrow, but it looks like you've gotten better."

"Oh. Well, you're right. I'm feeling much better." I said, reaching into my mane. I grabbed at my stake, a chess board, then grabbed the orb of ash.

"What are you doing here?"

"A little of this, a little of that." I said, unscrewing the top. Rainbow Dash looked at me with a strange caution, as if she was afraid of me. Good. Her fear was refreshing. I drank in the feeling of her dread and moved forward with a little more confidence.

"Pinkie, why did you come back here?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"I've come to finish my job. Why don't you head back home?" I suggested.

"What do you mean? My 'home', if you can call it that, is in Arcadia." said Dashie quizzically. I nodded and showed her the orb. She peered at it cautiously, but stupidly put her nose a few inches from the ash. I blew a puff of air out of my mouth, sending ash into Rainbow's face.

She began to glow brightly, fiercely. She screamed loudly, her voice warping and changing tone randomly. She looked at me, the most prominent emotion on her face being fear. Fear, with just a trace of regret. Like she predicted this, and she hoped herself to be wrong. I smiled wickedly as she burst into white smoke, evaporating from the room.

"What in the hell!" shouted the mare, falling out of her bed. Whoops. Rainbow Dash must've woken her up. She ran out of her bedroom, pushing past me. When she was just out of my sight, she let out a scream that pierced the air. I ran after her, jumping over her boxes and digging my stake from my mane.

An Earth Pony, with a red coat, was biting down hard on the mare's neck. Her eyes and mane were as bloody as her coat, and through the mouthful of neck, I could just barely see the glimmering of fangs. She didn't seem to notice me, focusing more on her meal.

"I've found you." I heard somepony whisper. It took a second to place the voice; my own. She seemed to perk up at my voice, dropping the mare entirely.

"Pinkie." she answered, flashing me a bloody smile. I gripped the stake more tightly and took a step towards my old master.

"How was Hell?" I asked.

"Could've been better. There was a point when Satan ripped out my vocal chords and raped me until I screamed." she recalled.

"If you didn't have vocal chords, how could you scream?"

"I couldn't. That was the point." she answered, laughing darkly. "I'm sorry if that made you uncomfortable. When you're dead, the only humor you know is dark humor."

"You've been busy. Killed the mayor, huh?" I said, unaware as to why I was still talking. It was simple, too simple for words. Step 1: Grip the Stake. Step 2: Stab the Mare. Step 3... Profit? Step 3 didn't really matter. It was Step 2 I needed to focus on.

"Pinkie, put the stake down." commanded Fluttershy. "Come with me. I'll treat you better, I promise, and I won't kill anypony you don't want me to. No more friends, nopony we know personally. That was the old me. I've changed."

"Not enough." I said, taking another step. Each step I took seemed to bring me farther away from Fluttershy. So much was going through my body; Sorrow, pain, anxiety, terror, and Celestia knows what else. Above all else, I was disappointed that my journey was ending. I had no friends and no goal. Nothing at all.

"Don't be foolish. We can be friends again, like how things used to be." begged Fluttershy.

"In order for things to be like they used to be, we'd need the girls." I took another step.

"Why do you want to kill me?" she asked. "Be honest with yourself. You don't."

"I do. I have to. If I don't kill you, you'll just kill more and more ponies." Another step.

"And you think killing me will make them safe? Nopony will be safe so long as you are alive, Pinkie." said Fluttershy, taking a step herself. "I see it in your eyes, can smell it on your breath."

"See what? Smell what?" Another step.

"Death. Murder. You've killed and you loved it. I can smell the blood in your stomach, the pony flesh you've eaten. You're just as bad as me. Now put down the stake."

I stopped, silent in thought. Was she right? Could she be right?

_Move!_, I yelled to myself. _She's right there! A few steps!_

"See? You know it's true. You're disappointed that I killed the mare before you could." said Fluttershy, stepping to meet me. "You had your eyes on that kill, and I beat you to it. And I apologize. I never meant to interfere with your plans. If you come with me, we can kill and feed on who or whatever we want. I swear, this will be the last time my hunger gets in the way of yours."

"You can bet your flank on that." I replied. My stake was a few inches from her heart. One good push and my former master would be no more.

"I'm not going to ask you nicely again. Put down the stake."

"No. I am going to kill you."

"Put down the goddamn stake!" shouted Fluttershy. I felt my hoof lose grip on it, but I clenched tightly and recovered my weapon.

"You don't control me anymore, Fluttershy. This is not like last time." I said.

"You are my thrall! It's time you obey your master! Put down the stake!" She backed up, pressing her flank against the wall. She didn't want to hurt me. Too bad I didn't return the sentiment.

"You're not my master anymore."

"This shouldn't be happening. I've been feeding, I'm stronger than before." growled Fluttershy. I lunged forward and buried the wooden tip of my stake into her heart. Not a grunt, groan, moan, or scream escaped her throat. I trembled as the life exited her body once again.

"I'm stronger, too!" I laughed to her corpse. I yanked my stake out and stabbed her again, and again, and again. The sharp wood found her throat, eye, and midsection as comfortable homes, but I never let it stay for too long. Her blood cascaded down her chest, her face, a sweet, disgusting, beautiful waterfall of red. Finally, the vampire was dead. I could put my stake away.

I fell sick just then. My lunch evacuated from my stomach as quickly and violently as possible. The Cakes' muffin (and other, assorted sweets) lay regurgitated on my kill. I wiped my mouth and smiled. I couldn't tell you why. I was just gripped with a feeling of euphoria. All things considered, I should feel terrible. Rainbow was gone, another pony died, and I killed one of my oldest friends. Yet, somehow, I felt purpose. I had completed my goal, sure, but I took into consideration what the vampire had said.

"We can kill and feed on whoever we want." I recalled. I smiled heinously, and set off for home. I snuck back into Sugar Cube Corner without anypony noticing anything suspicious. I cleaned whatever blood was on me off using my tongue, then I washed the puke from my teeth. Then, I went to my bed and laid my head onto my pillow. A dreamless sleep overtook me nearly instantly.

In the morning, I ran downstairs to meet the Cakes as soon as I opened my eyes. They were going out, and they wouldn't be back for a day or two. Which meant that somepony had to watch the twins. Which meant I had work to do.

I slid in front of them, giving them my biggest, most sincere, toothiest, you-can-trust-me-I-swear-I-won't-burn-the-house-down smile, and I waited for them to ask me.

"Pinkie, we have to head out today. A catering job that might go on for a while." said Mr. Cake. "Some big party in Canterlot. It's likely that we won't be back until day after tomorrow."

"Why so long?" I asked. Not that it bothered me. The longer they were gone, the better.

"You know how those Canterlot parties can get." lamented Mrs. Cake. "Anywho, we need somepony to watch the twins."

"Done." I said.

"You sure? You'll have to pick them up from daycare, and wash them, and feed them, and change them, and burp them…"

"No big deal." I insisted. "I can handle it."

"Are you sure?" asked Mr. Cake. "We know how stressed you've been lately, and we couldn't put anymore work on you if you can't handle it."

"Actually, watching the twins will probably remove some stress. It's been forever since I got some one-on-one-on-one time with my BBFFLs!"

"BBFFLs?"

"Bestest Baby Friends For Life!" I squealed. The Cakes smiled at me, then went off to gather their stuff. In an hour, they were packed and they headed off to the train station. That's when I set off to check Pound and Pumpkin out of daycare, early. They were pleased to see me, of course, and I felt the same. I pushed them through the streets in their stroller, talking to them along the way.

"You guys wanna come help me run some errands?" I asked. They giggled and nodded their heads. Laughing all the way, I pushed them to the hardware store, then the hunting and fishing shop, the music store, with the last stop being one of my favorite spots in all of Ponyville, the party supply booth. I stowed the bags from my little shopping spree underneath their stroller, then made one last stop. I briskly walked into Carousel Boutique, which had fallen into disrepair since Rarity died. All of her equipment was still there, which is what I was hoping for. I grabbed a needle and thread, then set off home.

I sat Pound and Pumpkin in the middle of Sugar Cube Corner, the doors locked and the windows drawn. I reached into the bags from the music shop and pulled out the sound-proofing foam. I put it all over the walls and windows, hoping it would eliminate at least some of the noise. Then, I reached into my other bags, retrieving hooks and wood and nails and ropes. I reached into my mane and brought out my big kitchen knife.

"Are you two ready to have some fun?" I asked, approaching them with my knife.


	6. Piece of Cake

The room was dark and quiet. Good. It was supposed to be a surprise, after all. I stood in wait, basking in the memories of yesterday's… work. Let's call it work. But, wait! Daddy used to tell me that if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. So I guess this wasn't work.

The door creaked open, and to Earth Ponies stepped in, one mare and one stallion. They dropped their suitcases and felt around for the light switch. I tiptoed behind them and shut the door. They flinched at my sudden movement, but settled down when they realised it was just little ol me.

"Pinkie! You nearly gave me a heart-attack!" said the mare. "Why have you turned off the light, deary?"

"I want it to be a surprise." I said. I pushed them into the middle of the room, a smile breaking out in spite of me. This was supposed to be serious, but I was too giddy. I had so much fun, and I would be having even more shortly.

"Pinkie, where are Pound and Pumpkin?" asked the stallion. I couldn't tell them. The only answer I gave was flicking the light switch and eradicating the darkness that had plagued the room.

"Don't scream." I warned. "I wouldn't want to get started too quickly."

"Why would we scream?" asked the stallion. I pointed behind them, and, when they saw what I had done, they ignored my request. They screamed loudly, in terror, fear, and, hopefully, adoration.

"I told you not to scream." I said. I took a moment to admire my handiwork. Just the sight of it made me hungry.

Pound was hanging from the ceiling, stabbed through the back with a hook that I so expertly tied to a nail in the ceiling. His head was pinned to the nail, holding it upright so that the bloody "F" I sewed onto his face was visible. Impaling his throat was Pumpkin's horn, which I had pinned through the pegasus' neck. A bloody letter "U" adorned her face. Last bit worth of notice was her stomach, split open and showing all to the world. I had broken her ribs right out of her body, then taken out her heart, liver, two things that I think are kidneys, and her lungs. I sewed her tiny intestines into a letter "N". Blood was dripping around my gorey, disgusting, twisted, delicious sculpture, and the Earth Ponies added to the pool of fluids by losing their lunch. Some ponies had just the weakest stomach.

"P-pound! Pumpkin!" sobbed the mare, dropping to her knees in tears. She wobbled, threatening to faint.

"Pass out and I'll add your husband to the sculpture!" I laughed.

"Pinkie, d-did you do this?" asked the stallion. I nodded my head and reached in my mane, retrieving my snack. I bit down on Pumpkin's still-bloody liver, and the Earth Ponies puked again, this time just spitting out hot, yellow bile.

"Would you mind cleaning that up? I'm trying to eat here." I asked, chewing on the salty, metallic, chewy liver.

"Pinkie, how could you do this?" asked the mare, stepping backwards.

"Please clean up your mess."

"Come on, Cup Cake!" called the stallion, rushing for the door. I jumped onto his back, grabbed my knife from my mane, and jammed it into his leg. He fell to the ground with a pitiful groan.

"Clean up your goddamn mess!" I shouted angrily. "Clean it up! Do you want me to make another sculpture? Clean it up!"

"With what?" sobbed the mare.

"You have tongues, don't you? Use em or lose em."

"You- You're not serious, are you?" said the stallion. Another stab to the leg convinced him that I was not joking. They stared at each other, tears rolling down their faces. They reluctantly brought their tongues to the floor, shuddering as they lapped up their puke piles. I finished my snack and withdrew a rag, which I used to aid in the clean up.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper like that." I said when the mess was cleaned. "I hope we can put this whole thing behind us. What do you say, Fluttershy?"

"W-what?" asked the stallion. "Why are you saying that?"

"Let's go to the basement!" I laughed. "More space, more fun! Ooh! Wait, better idea! Let's go into the freezer!"

"Why?" sobbed the mare. Was she still upset over Pound and Pumpkin? That's what it looked like.

"We're all a little upset, and I think a trip to the freezer will help us… chill out!" I laughed, chuckling at my own little pun. Then, I dropped the laugh and the smile altogether. "In all seriousness, I don't feel like dragging your bodies. Freezer. Now." I ordered, my voice like sandpaper.

The Earth Ponies dragged themselves behind the counter and to the walk-in freezer, after a few persuasive stabs of course. I retrieved my stake and pressed it against the stallion's chest.

"It's about time you go back to Hell, Fluttershy." I said, gruffly like before. "Are you ready to die? Is there anything you'd like to say to your wife?"

"Carrot…"sobbed the mare. Her crying was starting to annoy me, but I tried to keep that to myself. Everypony had annoying tendencies. it was part of their character.

"Cup Cake, now, don't worry. It'll be fine, honey." lied the stallion. He smiled at her weakly even as I separated him from his wife.

"Bye, Fluttershy!" I said brightly. I barely heard the mare's screaming in the background as I stuck my stake right in Fluttershy's chest. After another stab in the throat, the vampire was dead. I turned around slowly to face the mare, to face Fluttershy.

"Why?!" she sobbed. "W-why would you do this?!"

"Get lost, Fluttershy." I said meanly. My stake made itself at home in her chest, and she collapsed to the ground with a scream. The blood was flowing, the vampire was dead. I sighed and went to go take down my sculpture. While it was tons of fun to make, I couldn't run a business with it up. Ponies would be too preoccupied with my sculpture to care about my baked goods. My delicious Cakes.

When the bodies were taken down, I chucked them in the freezer, waiting for the shipment of ingredients that would be coming in shortly. I was expecting some fondant and a new set of piping tools. I signed for them when they arrived and started getting together the recipe for this month's special. I glanced at the calendar and grinned. October. My second favorite cake was the October special, the Nightmare Night exclusive Blood Cakes. I was never allowed to bake it before, something about me not being ready just yet. Something told me that I was ready now. My bowls were ready, my dry and wet ingredients were measured, and my stake… whisk… was bloody.

"Blood Cakes, so sweet and tasty" I sang softly was I mixed my batter. "Blood Cakes, don't be too hasty…"

* * *

I stood behind the counter with a huge smile, my first batch of red, dripping Blood Cakes sitting in the display beneath my face. I couldn't wait for my first, really, for-real customer. Soon enough, somepony walked in. A mare, mane blue, coat mint. Her name… Harpy or something. It had something to do with the lyre on her butt, her Cutie Mark.

"Hey, Pinkie!" she said brightly. "Where's Mr .Cake? And Mrs. Cake?"

"Didn't you hear? They retired last week." I said. "They're on vacation, and I'm taking over the shop. Would you like to try my Nightmare Night Blood Cake?"

"I dunno… It's not real blood, is it?" she asked with a smile.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." I whispered creepily. Harpy laughed and reached into her saddlebags. She returned from it's depths with a sack of gold bits. A few bits poured onto the counter, and I returned the favor with a Blood Cake.

"What gets it that red color?" she asked.

"It's a secret." I said. "All I can tell you is that it means a lot to the Cakes. They killed themselves trying to perfect this recipe."

"A good recipe comes from the heart." agreed Harpy. Lyra! Her name was Lyra!

"Yes. This certainly came from the heart. Enjoy." I said. Lyra smiled and took her Cake from the counter, levitating it with her horn. Lyra was the first of many to buy my Cakes. Within an hour, I was all out. A huge smile on my face, I set off to the freezer to get my super-special ingredient. The freezer wasn't quite freezing, more of a cooler. Or maybe a make-it-not-quite-room-temperature-er.

I filled a bowl with the blood and skin and muscles from the vampires, then set off to bake a new batch of Cakes. I mixed my bloody bowl with cake batter, and filled a pan. It took me five tries to make the Cakes, because I kept eating all the batter. I'd have to tell everypony that the Cakes would be taken off the menu. Either that, or I'd need to get more ingredients. I thought it over as my Cakes sat in the oven.

A stallion burst into my store angrily, causing quite a fracas. He'd wake the neighbors. Except that it was the middle of the day and the neighbors probably weren't sleep. And there aren't actually any houses next to Sugar Cube Corner. What was I saying?

"Hey!" shouted the stallion, pulling me back to earth. "What was in those Blood Cakes? They were terrible! I nearly puked! Horrible stomach ache!"

"Let's see." I said, thinking of the recipe. "Including the frosting, there's milk, cream cheese, butter, flour, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, um… cinnamon, and… Oh! The secret ingredient! Could it be any of that that hurt your tummy?"

"What's the secret ingredient?" he asked.

"Well, if I told you, it's not really a secret, is it?"

"If you don't tell me, I'll be reporting your business!" he threatened. I gestured for him to lean forward. He poked his face close to mine, and I whispered the secret ingredient.

"Goose eggs." I whispered. He sighed in relief.

"Good. I don't have a problem with any of that stuff. Must've been something else, then." said the stallion.

"Or maybe it was the pony intestines."

"Come again?"

"Well, pony guts don't always sit well with everypony." I explained. "I almost threw up my first time."

"You're joking, right?" he asked.

I reached into my mane and leapt on the stallion, knocking him to the ground. I withdrew my knife and stuck it in his groin, pulling a huge scream from him. Good thing I made it obvious to the neighbors that I did a lot of screaming during Nightmare Night time. Good thing there were no neighbors.

The stallion fell unconscious, which is when I went to work. I dragged him into the kitchen and tied his hooves with a length of rope, then gagged him with a wad of cloth. I waited for him to wake up, because it was no fun if he was asleep. It was just boring!

I was taking my Blood Cakes out of the oven when he came to. He wasn't very smart, and started mumbling immediately. I sighed and went to help the poor guy when he punched me in the jaw. My knife swung into his leg, a nice, satisfying cut. I grabbed him by the tail and hefted him up using my Pinkie Strength. I put him the only place I could; my still hot, still open oven. I shut the door behind him, laughing at the screams of the stallion burning. I left him there to cook, so I could focus on icing my Cakes.

"Baking these treats is such a cinch, add some guy's large intestine!" I sang as I iced. "Throw in a little more and then count to four, and cut him up in sections…"

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry about the lack of updates. I've been having computer trouble, and it's been preventing me from writing. But, I've got that all sorted now, and things are back to normal. I'll resume my schedule of not having a schedule and write whenever I can, which is often. I hope you guys are enjoying. See you at the end. Farewell!**


	7. Killing Time

Blood filled the room. Hot, bubbling red rose up to my knees, and more was pouring from the ceiling. Laughing, I fell forward onto my stomach and splashed the yummy blood all over the place. An eye floated to the surface, a light blue one. I leapt on it and stuffed it into my mouth. I chewed on the slimey, chewy, disgusting ball with a smile. I saw another one to my left and popped that in my mouth, too. Then, an intestine, a heart, ligaments, and other pony bits floated to the top of the lake of blood. I chomped down on all of it as quickly as I could. Too much blood, too much meat. Mind-blowing.

A little patch of skin floated to the top, the pink fur caked with red. I grabbed it up and licked away the blood, my tongue brushing against the three balloons that was Pinkie's Cutie Mark. My ocean of death shook, my red sea rippling. An enormous pink hoof rose from the depths of the blood, raising me high into the sky.

I looked into the giant blue eye, nearly hidden by a waterfall of pink hair. The giantess held me in front of her blood-coated smile. I could feel her breath against me, the anticipation in her body. She wanted to kill me as much as I wanted to kill her. Somepony whispered somewhere, urging one of us to act.

Pinkamena brought her hoof to her mouth, and popped me in between her giant teeth. I withdrew my knife and stabbed at her gums, her tongue, her uvula, anywhere I could put the blade. The wet, bloody cavern shook; Her laughter at my pathetic attempts. I felt a sharp stabbing in my mouth, blood dripping from between my teeth.

"Very good, Pinkie." said somepony. "Now, to Canterlot. You have work to do."

* * *

I woke up in the Everfree Forest with what was left of my latest victim sitting on my chest. I had picked out most of his chest and almost all of his internal organs sat in my tummy. For the most part, only his eyes, bladder, some of his skin and brain remained. It was a delicious meal, better than anything I'd ever had, but it was only memory. I was hungry again, and I'd need some breakfast if I wanted to fulfill my job.

Before I could even think about what I was doing in the Everfree Forest, I was visited by some old friends. The wolves stepped from the brush, looking at my leftovers expectedly, like they wanted me to share. I growled at them, yelled "Get lost!" in wolf. They barked and snapped at me, threatening to take my meal by force. Somehow, my stake ended up in my hoof. The wolves circled me in challenge, a challenge I gladly accepted. Just as the wolves leapt, I did the same. The fight was long and bloody, but there was eventually a victor. I ate like a queen.

I cleaned up the remains from my breakfast before leaving the Forest. I aimlessly wandered Ponyville, trying to find something to kill time until Kill Time. I eventually ended up at Sugar Cube Corner. I decided that it would be pointless to leave the vampires in the freezer. I wanted somepony to see my handiwork, at least, after I left. I dragged the corpses from the icebox and sat them in the middle of the lobby. I took my knife, caked in blood, and went to work.

I sliced into the bodies, carving letters into their flesh. I wrote a bunch of stuff, but mostly I kept scratching in the word "FUN". Cause that's what it was; Fun. So much fun. Every kill was a big adventure, with tons of fun! Wait. Where have I heard that before?

When my graffiti was neatly typed into the bodies, I set off to my bedroom to pack. I filled a suitcase with hats and knives, scarves and saws from the basement, as well as my stake. When the case could carry no more, I shoved it into my mane. Then, it was time to play a game. My least favorite game, but a game nonetheless. The Waiting Game.

Time crawled along. I wanted to wait until the afternoon, but my patience was running out. Fluttershy was waiting for me. I couldn't keep her waiting, that would be rude. Soon, I couldn't even remember why I wanted to wait. Why was I still in Sugar Cube Corner? Canterlot was a while away, a whole train ride. Wouldn't it be better to leave as soon as I could?

I somehow ended up outside in the sunny streets of Ponyville. I dragged my hooves through the streets, passing by ponies who shot me terrified looks. I smiled widely at all of them, but that only seemed to scare them more. Must've been an off day for them. Or maybe I had bad breath. The terrified looks didn't seem to diminish even as I took my seat on the train. I closed my eyes and napped until the train arrived in Canterlot.

I dreamed of the giant Pinkie again. She chewed me slowly as I stabbed her mouth over and over. I heard a whisper again, the same lady from before. She said it again; "To Canterlot". I told her I was on my way, and she only laughed. I didn't open my eyes again until the train arrived at the station.

I jumped from my seat and ran as fast as I could to the castle. The guards tried to stop me from entering, but moved as soon as they realized who I was. One guard even escorted me to the throne room. He opened the door for me and returned to his post, leaving me with my next victim.

A white alicorn sitting at the throne. Her mane was almost liquid, and a bunch of different colors. Her crown was glistening gold, as was her necklace. Her purplish eyes glittered and sparkled when she smiled at me.

"Hello, Pinkie." she said. "What brings you here on this day?"

I stood quiet and took a step towards Fluttershy. She looked at me strangely, but rose to her hooves to meet me. She looked at me cautiously, a well-deserved caution.

"Is everything alright, my dear?" she asked. I reached into my mane and withdrew my suitcase. It flipped open and I dumped my tools onto the floor. I heard Fluttershy gasp as I bent over to grab my stake.

"It's time for you to die, Fluttershy!" I said.

"Pinkie Pie… What have you done?" said Fluttershy. I swiped my stake at her face, only a little blood dripping from her face. She took a step backwards to avoid my next swipe.

"Stop moving, please!" I asked. "I would really like to kill you now!"

"Pinkie, please do not make me hurt you." said Fluttershy, stepping back again. "Please, put the stake down."

"Not until you're dead!" I said with a huge smile. I swung and swung at Fluttershy until her back was to the wall. She grabbed me with her magic and pushed me away, holding me to the wall.

"Pinkie, look at yourself!" she begged. Fluttershy hovered a mirror over to me, sticking it in front of my face.

A pink mare looked back at me, her mane flat and faded. Her eyes were blue, yet bloodshot and red. Her teeth were coated in sticky, thick, red blood, and bits of darkened red flesh poked through them. She had a crazed smile on her face, a smile that slowly fell into a frown, like mine.

"W-what?" I asked, the mare's lips moving with my own.

"Do you see what you have become?" asked Fluttershy. She dropped me to my hooves gently. I looked at the mare again, with my stake in my hoof. As I moved it, the mare in the mirror moved hers.

"F-fluttershy?" I asked. The mare in the mirror nodded. I gripped my stake and shoved it just beneath her throat. Something moved in my chest as I twisted the stake in Fluttershy. I pulled the stake down and out of her chest; My skin pulled up for some reason as well. The mare in the mirror fell to the ground. Blood pooled around my fallen body. The mare in the mirror twitched and screamed loudly. My throat got sore and raw, and I lost feeling in my body.

The mare in the mirror coughed up blood, my blood spattered onto the mirror, and we were no more.


	8. When Red Fades To Gray

All around me was white. Nothing was around me at all. The air around me seemed to warp around me as I took a step forward. I blinked once and two doors appeared before me, one to my left and one to my right. Before I could move towards either door, a voice stopped me in my tracks.

"I would suggest that you wait until my explanation is over before you choose." said Princess Celestia. She trotted from behind me and stood between the doors. I was somehow a mile away, but right on top of her at the same time.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Where are we, indeed. That will come in a moment. For now, I think we should take a look at the list of offences, just for the sake of clarity."

The nothingness exploded into images, pictures of my victims before I got to looked so happy, not a care in the world. Then the images shifted into their mangled corpses, my blood-soaked stake.

"What… What did I do?" I asked.

"You've killed ponies." said Celestia. "Eight, two of them children. I will remove one from the list as it was Fluttershy, but that does not balance it out."

"I-I'm sorry." I said.

"That didn't work for Fluttershy, and it will not work for you." scolded the princess.

"Wait a second… I remember attacking you. I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me."

"A stake."

"Huh?" I asked.

"A stake. That's what got into you; Your stake." said Celestia. "You stabbed yourself in the chest with your own stake."

"What happened to me?"

"You are dead, of course." said Celestia, with a slight anger in her voice. "I had hope for you, Pinkie. I was confident that you would survive, for their sake."

"I'm dead." I repeated. "So, this is H-E-double-sippy-straws?"

"Of course not."

"You let me into Heaven?" I asked, not daring to dream.

"It's not quite that simple. I, of course, would have loved to stretch the rules for you." explained Princess Celestia. "However, there are limitations preventing me from doing as such."

"What sort of limitations?" I said.

"Magical laws. If I try to let your soul into Heaven for free, it will alter time in such a way that makes it so that you never existed. That, combined with Rainbow Dash's wish, and I can't let you in just like that."

"Dashie's wish? She wished for me to lose my spot in Heaven, right?" I asked.

"Actually, she wished the exact opposite." said Celestia. "Although she did not do a very good job."

"What do you mean?"

"The time-gap affected her thought process, which caused some unfortunate phrasing." sighed Celestia. "She was under the assumption that you were already dead and in Hell. Her exact words were 'I wish Pinkie was out of Hell'. So, I could not bring you to Heaven, but I could give you a choice."

"What sort of choice?" I asked.

"Two doors. Exactly identical in every respect, except what is on the other side." explained the princess. "In that respect, they are polar opposites."

"So, just pick a door?" I said. I looked at the doors, trying to reason out which to pick.

"Before you choose, you should know your options." said Celestia. She kept her eyes on me, not looking at either door. "One door will lead you to Heaven. You will be allowed to live out your eternity with your friends, complete with your wish. Nopony will even remember your murders."

"And the other door?" I asked.

"You return to the moment this all started. The moment Fluttershy made you her thrall. You will relive every terrible moment of the past six months again as if it were your first time."

"And then?" I said, eyeing down each door.

"You will make this choice again, under the exact same stipulations." said Princess Celestia, her face still blank. She never looked at either door, never gave me any hint of which door was the good door and which was the bad. I couldn't decide. The one on the left looked good, but so did the one on the right.

"I never answered your question." said Celestia. "You asked me where we were. I cannot truly answer that. It's funny, really. The good realm has many names: Arcadia, Elysium, Heaven, Utopia, Canaan and Zion. The bad realm has multiple names as well: Hell, Hades, The Underworld, Tartarus, Anaon and Inferno. However, this realm, a realm of neither good nor bad, has only one. You might know it."

"Limbo." I said.

"Correct." nodded Celestia. "The Gray Area. Oh, I like that one. Next time I bring somepony here, I will use that."

"This choice is impossible." I said. "Both the doors are the same."

"Thus making it fair. Feel free to take your time." said Celestia.

"It doesn't seem fair to me. No matter what door I pick, I win." I said. "If I pick the good door, I get to go to Heaven. If I pick the bad door, I just have to grit my teeth and wait until I can make another choice. I win either way."

"Not so simple. You, of course, will not remember which door you chose." said Celestia. "In fact, you wouldn't remember even being here. For all you know, you've already been here and you've already chosen the wrong door."

"Have I?"

"It doesn't matter either way. Assuming you have, it is likely that whatever enticed you to pick the door will make you choose the same door again." said Celestia. "This is assuming that you have done this before. If not, this was completely irrelevant."

I looked at the door to the left, then the one to the right. I looked from door to door; I was terrified. What if I chose the wrong door? What if I already chose the wrong one? I was so scared. My knees shook and trembled, and my hooves felt as if they moved on their own accord.

"I will not hold the murders against you." said Celestia. "Your madness is partly Fluttershy's fault, and partly my own. I never should have let you out of my sight. I sincerely hope that you choose the right door."

"So do I." I whispered. I was right in front of a door, the one on the left. I slowly twisted the knob and pushed it open. A veil of black filled the doorway. I gave Celestia one last look and jumped through to the otherside.

I was falling, but not down. I was falling horizontally, from left to right. The darkness slapped at me, cutting into my chest and slicing my soul. I couldn't see or hear or feel anything; complete darkness, shadow to more than just my eyes. After an eternity of falling, I heard a whisper from far away, a whisper that was also a shout right in my ear.

"Wake up."

* * *

I shot up in my bed, thoughts going a million, billion miles per hour. The doors were fresh in my mind. Doors. What doors?

"Where am I? What happened?" I asked, looking around Fluttershy's bedroom, eyes landing on Fluttershy herself. "Last thing I remember is…" The doors. What doors? Then, I remembered the bite. "Fluttershy!"

"Morning, Pinkie." said Fluttershy. She sounded different. Rougher. Her voice sounded almost gravelly. "How do you feel?"

"Did you bite me?" I asked. "Did that actually happen?"

"I'm afraid so. You nearly died."

"Why? Wait, how? No offence Fluttershy, but you're not exactly Bulk Biceps." I said. "I can't see you hurting anypony."

"That was before." said Fluttershy.

"Before what?"

"Before I became a vampire."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

She explained it all; How she became a vampire, how she killed Applejack, and how she bit me. She made me her thrall, a vampire's mortal slave. I had no choice but to do whatever she ordered me to do. If I tried to resist, my body moved on it's own. Throughout her entire explanation, I couldn't help but think that it felt familiar. I had the strangest feeling that I'd done this before. It all felt so old, yet so new at the same time.

**Welcome back,** I heard somepony whisper.

"What's that?" I asked out loud.

"Thrall. It's a… a slave." said Fluttershy.

"Never in a billion years. I'll never be anypony's slave." I huffed.

"You don't have a choice. You obey my every command." said Fluttershy.

"How do you figure?" I asked.

"Cartwheel around the bed." I hopped off of the bed and flipped over and over again in a circle around the bed. As I did, I tried to remember the doors. I couldn't remember what they were, or even if they were real. I just saw doors. The whisper from before made me uneasy, too. It sounded a lot like Princess Celestia, but that couldn't be right.

"So I have no choice?" I asked.

**You had your choice. And you chose wrong.**

* * *

**Author's Note: The end of another journey. I hope you guys all enjoyed this little descent into madness. If you liked or if you have any ideas for improvement, please leave a review. It helps me a lot. Thanks for reading. Farewell!**


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